Arena Market: Thailand

The booming Asian market for international touring is exemplified in Thailand, where the industry is looking extremely dynamic. Proof of this is the opening of Bangkok’s UOB LIVE, a 6,000-capacity venue managed by ASM Global and located on the sixth floor of the capital’s EmSphere shopping mall.

The venue marked its February debut with an intimate gig by Ed Sheeran, following his + – = ÷ x (Mathematics) Tour stop at the 51,552-capacity Rajamangala National Stadium (where Coldplay and Bruno Mars performed in between). And now the venue is intent on “reshaping the [country’s] live entertainment landscape” through its “plug-and-play” concept.

“Plug-and-play venues are a relatively new concept for Thailand,” explains Craig Grossarth, general manager of UOB LIVE. “The venue comes with a world-class sound system, an amazing lighting system, retractable seats, crowd barriers, and our own stage. A promoter can effectively come in and use our own equipment and produce an event without having to bring in much of their own.” Given that the UOB LIVE is on the sixth floor of a shopping centre, Grossarth also emphasises the importance of “massive freight elevators” to circumvent the challenge of loading equipment all the way to the venue.

Meanwhile, the IMPACT Arena continues to be the key stop for acts looking for a larger venue. The 11,000-capacity arena part of a complex that includes a convention centre and several exhibition halls – features an indoor floor space of over 140,000m2 and saw sold-out tour stops by Westlife and 50 Cent last year, with Dua Lipa on its schedule for November.